This invention relates to a method of manufacturing foam-padded articles with an integral upholstery adhering thereto employing a vacuum forming mold, where a substantially airtight upholstery, after being placed in the mold, is brought into the desired shape by means of a vacuum under the upholstery whereafter a foamable synthetic material is foamed in the mold. The invention also relates to apparatus for manufacturing such upholstered foamed articles and to upholstered foamed articles manufactured according to said method or in said apparatus.
Foamed articles with an upholstery adhering thereto are generally known and are used as cushions, backs of seats, arm-rests, panels and such articles for motor vehicles, seating furniture, beds and other purposes. The upholstery may or may not be provided with a decorative surface. Such foamed articles have the advantage that they can be manufactured inexpensively, as no manual upholstery operations are to be carried out and the upholstery, since it adheres to the foam body, is considerably less subject to wear than are form articles with a loose upholstery.
A disadvantage of foamed articles provided with an upholstery made by deep drawn vacuum forming is that during vacuum forming wrinkles may occur at undesired places in the upholstery, which not only give such articles a less attractive aspect, but which also expose the projections formed by the wrinkles to more wear than the other parts of the upholstery.